The Love Schematic

Marriage Market Misadventures

by J.S. Harker

One inventor with eyes on a prestigious prize. One noble longing for adventure. One design that will carry them beyond the horizon.

Blaze Levimist dreams of changing the world with his invention of an airship—but first he'll have to get it off the ground. When he fails to land a prestigious job, he decides to craft a prototype in time for the Everend Market's Innovation Awards. Catching feelings for a young noble was not part of the plan.

Durae Navisora is supposed to make a good match at the marriage market, but he wishes for more from life than going from his family's tower into being locked in matrimony. He stumbles across Blaze and his project and is immediately smitten with the creator and his invention. But can he follow his heart? Or will he obey his family's designs for his life?

Marriage Market Misadventures is a light hearted series of queer romances where elves from all over the realm gather at the Everend Midsummer Markets to meet, match, and marry—with plenty of shenanigans along the way!

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, Fae, Romantasy, Magic

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2026

About the author

JS HARKER loves stories. She was one of those kids who always had a book in her hands and spent many hours adventuring with her siblings. These days she wanders into her imaginary worlds and conjures up tales of magic, passion, and happily-ever-afters. She currently lives in the part of the Midwest that makes Tatooine look interesting by comparison (not that she’s ever obsessively thought about becoming a Jedi or anything).

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about an elf, Blaze, with an amazing invention, and a noble elf, Durae who just wants to escape the tower he grew up in and live his life. Blaze is trying to make money at the Market to continue to make his invention and enter the contest at the Market. Durae is at the Market because his parents want him to marry well, and he feels trapped. Durae escapes his tower and goes looking for trouble and finds Blaze but once they meet there is something special between them. There is a misunderstanding, and they are separated for a while but then they reunite and realize they have something special and want to be together. Money and parents interfere in their love story, but they finally convince one of Durae’s parents that their love is real and with his mother’s help they know Blaze’s invention will be complete and amazing. They find out another person has stolen Blazes schematic for his invention and Blaze believes he is ruined but Durae believes they can still win. Read this amazing story and find out if there is an HEA(there is).
Story 4.25, Spice 3
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read in the Marriage Market Misadventures series.
Blaze and Durae come from two very different worlds but their spark is instant. They have great chemistry, though they need to work on their communication skills.
Blaze is at the market to take his airship to win the best invention prize. The science behind Blaze's airship is crazy, a lot of fantasy elements involved, but that doesn't stop it being highly intelligent.
Durae is there as he is to find a spouse, as decided by his parents. Each one has different ideas on who he should marry, and Durae has a mind of his own, wanting to explore and meet people of his own accord. Blaze just so happens to be the first person he meets, who is beautiful in body and mind. However, Durae is a noble and his parents wouldn't be happy to see him with a commoner.
I enjoyed reading this, for all aspects of the story. Durae's family drama, him and Blaze together, the science behind Blaze's airship. Everything works well together and gives a fun romantasy to enjoy.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the multi author Marriage Market Misadventures series featuring various elves and their visits to the Everend Midsummer Market in the search of… something. For Blaze, it was to find the rare parts needed to get his invention completed in time for the newest Innovation Awards… for Durae it was to experience a little bit of life before being forced by his parents to marry in order to avoid his supposed doom.

This was a cute book but I couldn’t really get into it; it was kinda steampunk-ish which I thought I would enjoy but it seemed more like I was being bombarded with too much detail. There was some nice steam that I enjoyed but I guess overall I was distracted or something because the majority of the book wasn’t sinking in and my mind refused to settle. It got some really good reviews though so don’t go off my review, check it out for yourself, it might be your next favorite read. For me, 4 stars

I received a copy of this book for free but am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since the two MC's were mentioned in Rake and the Cake, and wow, this book was amazing! 

The aspect of cosmomancy being what powers Blaze's ship was really fascinating,  I thought it was so unique and I commend the author for coming up with so many details that made it feel believable. 
As for Blaze and Durae's relationship,  they had an instant connection with one another,  but that didn't mean it was smooth sailing for them. They had to have hard discussions,  experience a bit of heartbreak and betrayal, before finally finding their way, but the journey was well worth it! Their relationship with each other was adorable to read about!! 

I enjoyed reading this book, but I wish we would've gotten to see what happened at the Innovation Awards, I feel like the story ended with a bit of a cliffhanger.  Having said that though, it was a great book and I enjoyed reading it. 

[PalenMisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little worried this wasn't for me after the first couple chapters. Both characters came across almost naive/childish to me, though happily that didn't last. I also found myself actively disliking most of Durae's family for roughly the first half of the book (most of them grew on me after that). Blaze's co-workers (and even Mack) functioned as a found family which I really liked (and Kidd was really good for getting Blaze out of his head). Durae was pretty innocent when the story started so he was lucky he ran into Blaze. They were very "insta-love cute" together, but they did suit each other. I was expecting a bit of fake dating between Vespen and Durae, but he turned out to be a great friend so that worked out. I did find the end a bit abrupt and feel like this could have used an epilogue, but the story was resolved and overall it was fairly cute and fluffy. Worth checking out if you want a quick read that has minimal angst.

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 This is a very cute read. It’s pretty instalust to instalove, but Durae and Blaze are a cute young couple. I enjoyed how committed they both were to Blaze’s invention. (The intelligence flex flirting was hilarious. I’m glad they found one another.)

Durae doesn’t have a lot of street smarts, but he has a good heart and a brain for cosmomancy. Blaze is gifted and determined and really not good with people, but he does his best.

I enjoyed Mack and Kidd and most (lol) of Durae’s family. The magic system was interesting, and I liked the idea of all these fun inventions at the market.

The ending was a little abrupt for me—I wanted more details and more consequences. (But I’m also the reader who wants an epilogue and 12 bonus scenes, so make of that what you will, lol.)

Looking forward to more of this series!

I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest review.

[Emilyrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me the first chapter to really get into the story with this one but once I did I couldn't put it down! I loved Durae's spirit and Blaze's determination in the face of difficulty. They had good chemistry together and you could really feel that they cared about each other. I enjoyed seeing more of the market in this shared world and there were plenty of moments (and secondary characters) that made me smile. I'm pleased they clearly got a happy ending together but I'd have loved a final chapter or epilogue for them just so it didn't end on such a moment of action or with any loose ends for secondary characters that are unlikely to pop up again in other stories. Overall though, it's a great read that I'd definitely recommend. I'm excited to read the next stories in this shared series as I've enjoyed them all so far!

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Fiona Tewson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great story in the Marriage Market Misadventures series. In this story, Durae is coming to the market with his sister and his parents so he can find a match, Blaze is there to get the innovation award.

I enjoyed the story, but it could have had a better ending. The story just seemed to stop, as if J.S. Harker had run out of ideas. Saying that, this story was cosy and the secondary characters were good, but it could have been better fleshed out and the story longer.

If you want a quick, cosy read, this is the book for you.

I received an advanced copy of the book from the author.

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Love Schematic is part of the multi author Marriage Market Misadventures series. Each book can be read as a standalone but why not enjoy the whole series. This is the story of Blaze and Durae. I loved these two and watching them work through their issues to build a relationship. This was a fun story with some family drama but what can you expect when a noble falls for a commoner. I loved the details about the airship Blaze created. This was just another wonderful addition to the Marriage Market Misadventures series. I can't wait to see what JS Harker writes next. I also can't wait for the next book in this wonderful series. I would definitely recommend this book and series as 5 star reads.
received a free review copy

[Yvonne M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Durae and Blaze worked together to make a safe version of the airship Blaze had designed. Durae had his mom check the plans for the air craft, she found an issue and helped him fix it. One of the other designers copied the original design Blaze had made and said it was his design. The original design didn’t work the correct way and Durae and Blaze worked together to save the people who were on the other ship. I really enjoyed all of the work that they did together and loved the ending. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who enjoys JS Harker’s mm love stories.

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another enjoyable addition to the Marriage Market Misadventures series. Blaze and Durae come from completely different worlds, but their connection feels natural from the start, and I loved watching their relationship grow alongside Blaze's ambitious dream.

The blend of romance, family expectations, and inventive fantasy elements kept the story engaging, while the airship project added a unique twist to the usual marriage market setting. A charming romantasy with likeable characters, sweet chemistry, and just enough adventure to keep the pages turning.

[CatOnABlueBackground · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blaze the inventor goes to the Marriage Market in order to find investors for his airship invention. Durae, son of a noble family, is unwillingly there to find a mate. They meet while Durae is wandering the market incognito, bond over the plans for the airship, and then have to figure out how to get Durae's family to accept commoner Blaze, and to present the airship to the committee as Blaze's idea when the plans have been stolen by a rival inventor.

Interesting plot and characters, bit of spice, nice entry in the Marriage Market series.

[Andrea Smedley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a low-angst romance series, which I'm enjoying as some light relief! I liked Blaze and Durae's courtship and relationship, set alongside Blaze's attempt to build an airship to wow at the Innovation Awards. I really liked Blaze's rag-tag crew and would love to hear more about them, many of them would deserve their own book, especially Kidd, Vespan and Mack. My only criticism was a somewhat abrupt ending, without the results of the Innovation Awards themselves!
I received an ARC

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good addition to this multi-author series, featuring amazing inventor Blake and Durae, a noble elf who is being pushed too far by his family. They are from very different backgrounds which put more pressure on both, but the "right" matches for Durae compared very unfavourably. The airship invention was beautifully described, I would have liked to see if it would win the innovation award after all their struggles to get it that far.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blaze doesn't attend the Market for a marriage, but for his invention and a job.
Durae has to attend to appease his family but becomes enthralled with Blaze and his inventions.
Can he withstand his family's machinations and finally get his happily ever after?
Marriage Market Misadventures strikes again!

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Marriage Market Misadventures series, this one gives us Blaze and Durae — different backgrounds, instant connection, chemistry that is genuinely off the charts, and communication skills that are...less so. The worldbuilding is fabulous and the whole thing is a fun read.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving the Marriage Market Misadventures, the stories are all fun and this was no exception. Blaze, the inventor and Durae, the noble were so sweet together. I enjoyed watching them navigate their relationship along with opinionated mother's and unscrupulous nobles. I just wished it had continued for another few pages. I have questions and I really want answers!

[Leandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Love Schematic. Blaze and Durae are wonderful characters who are incredibly easy to fall in love with, and I quickly grew attached to both of them.

I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop, and they made the story especially enjoyable for me.

My only small criticism is that I found the ending a little abrupt. I would have loved a bit more time to see everything wrap up.

Overall, though, this was a lovely and enjoyable read with two characters who quickly found a place in my heart.

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Dual POV
Social standing discrepancies

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Thank you to the author for the ARC

[... · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was fun! I enjoyed the story quite a bit, although it read more like a fun steampunk-meets-fantasy adventure with a subplot of romance shoe-horned in than an actual ROMANCE. Still, it kept me interested and had me smiling, and I think if it would have had an epilogue I'd have called it a solid 4-star read.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good new edition of this series.

Nice to read in between other things and clear your head for a bit.
It is a shame, though, that it had a bit of a cliffhanger at the end.

💞Thank you to the Author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC💖

[K-Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the relationship set up situation. Blaze was there with his creative crew to build an airship, Durae was there for a match to please his parents. Durae ended up only having eyes for Blaze! It was cute and fun to watch all the characters gather together for airship cause!

[Edga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This queer fantasy romance really made me smile. It's part of the Marriage Market Misadventures series, and it's as charming and cute as the previous books! 🥰 You've got Blaze, the epitome of chaos! He's an anxious inventor who pairs up with Durae, a gentle, sheltered noble who just wants adventure. Durae is such a cutie pie 😊 What really did it for me, though, were the magical elves building airships. 😝 I'm so here for it, please!
It's super light, totally adorbs, and their sweet romance and mutual yearning absolutely melted my heart. It really is fun, feel good escapism. If you need a heartwarming story to cheer you up, grab this, it'll warm the cockles of your heart! 💖

[Kandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this multi-author series.

3.5 stars. This book was fun but the ending was abrupt and left several threads unresolved. The Awards. The dad's shady agreement. Trouble brewing with the parentals. Marriage and how the families handled it.

[Taylor Sapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

need. more. 🤖